I was in Haiti from August 10 to August 24, 2002. The visit was not
primarily for birding, though I managed to get out to a few places beyond
the grounds of the Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince. A three-day trip,
8/17-19, into the Massif de la Selle provided a good opportunity to see some
highland species and a mere 45 minutes at Trou Caiman, a shallow lake within
striking distance of Port-au-Prince, was remarkably productive, even without
a scope.

Note: in the Massif de la Selle we were based in an unusual rustic auberge
near the village of Seguin. It is owned by an Italian who lives in
Jacmel and is run by a multi-lingual Haitian who is devoted to the preservation
of what native pine forest is still left in the area

What follows is a complete list, with notes, of birds seen and/or heard:

SPECIES

SIGHTING
DETAILS

Tricolored Heron

4 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Little Blue
Heron

3 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Cattle Egret

Common in lowlands.

Green Heron

2 at Trou Caiman,
8/21 and 1 on river bank near Jacmel, 8/17.

Greater Flamingo

300 at Trou Caiman, 8/21.

Osprey

1 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Red-tailed Hawk

1, Massif de
la Selle, 1800m, 8/19.

American Kestrel

4 near Trou
Caiman, 8/21, and another 4 in various places, sea level to 500m.

Northern Bobwhite

Many heard,
Massif de la Selle, 1700-2000m, 8/18-19.

Black-necked
Stilt

8 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Black-bellied
Plover

1 on jetty at
Kyona Beach and another in roadside wet area off Rte 1, near Cabaret, 8/23.

Semi-palmated
Plover

1 in wet area
near Cabaret, 8/23.

Wilson’s Plover

2 in wet area
near Cabaret, 8/23.

Killdeer

6 in open area,
1700m, Massif de la Selle, 8/17 and 1 at Trou Caiman, 8/21.

Greater Yellowlegs

10 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Lesser Yellowlegs

5 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Spotted Sandpiper

2 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Semi-palmated
Sandpiper

20 at Trou Caiman,
8/21 and 10 in wet area near Cabaret, 8/23.

Least Sandpiper

6 at Trou Caiman,
8/21 and 1 near Cabaret, 8/23.

Short-billed
Dowitcher

1 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Least Tern

20 at Trou Caiman,
8/21.

Black Tern

2 at Trou Caiman, 8/21. One bird in full
alternate plumage, the other molting in basic.

Rock Dove

No comment.

Plain Pigeon??

I thought at
least a few of the columbines flying in the Trou Caiman area were this species.

Mourning Dove

Surprisingly
common, from sea level to 1800m.

Common Ground
Dove

Far fewer than
MoDo, though still common, sea level to 1800m.

Hispaniolan
Lizard-Cuckoo

4 seen during
a 6 hour walk, Massif de la Selle, 1800-2000m, 8/18.

Bay-breasted Cuckoo

1 flew across
the road by the sea, east of Jacmel, 8/19.

Smooth-billed
Ani

1 seen in foothills
of Massif de la Selle, between Port-au-Prince and Jacmel, 8/17.

Barn Owl

1 heard in Hotel
Oloffson grounds, 8/21.

Black Swift

One large group
(80 birds?) flew over Hotel Oloffson grounds on 8/16 and small numbers seen
over foothills and mountains, from 200m to 1800m, Massif de la Selle.

1 seen at about
1200m, Massif de la Selle, 8/19. Identified by solid black crown and long
bill. Notably different jizz from Gray Kingbird. Noticed obvious rufous
in primaries and tail that field guides don’t mention!

Cave Swallow

Small colony
at about 1000m, Massif de la Selle, 8/19.

Palmchat

Like the woodpecker,
everywhere, only more so. Widespread and abundant, sea level to 1800m.

Northern Mockingbird

4-5 seen and/or
heard, between 1200 and 1800m.

Rufous-throated Solitaire

5-6 heard and
one seen very well, Massif de la Selle, 1850-2000m.

Hispaniolan Palm-Crow

3 separate sightings
of calling pairs – two pairs at 1800m in the Massif de la Selle on 8/18 and
another pair over Port-au-Prince. Heard other crows in the mountains that
I thought might have been White-necked but never saw them.

Village Weaver

A number of
flocks between sea level and 600m. Largest colony on Rte 1, ~15 miles north
of Port-au-Prince.

Pine Warbler

At least 4 seen
in pines, Massif de la Selle, 1850m. Including 2 singing males.

American Redstart

1 in Oloffson
grounds, 8/12 and 1 in foothills of the Massif de la Selle at 1200m, 8/19.

Green-tailed Ground Warbler

3 seen in Massif
de la Selle, 1900-2000m, 8/18. Seemed to be very common in its limited habitat.

Bananaquit

Common on Olaffson
grounds. Watched nest building going on from the restaurant/porch of the
hotel.

Black-crowned
Palm Tanager

Not very conspicuous
but widespread and common, from sea level to 1800m. I saw them on the Oloffson
grounds, in high mountain scrub in the Massif de la Selle and in the trees
around Kyona Beach.

Yellow-faced
Grassquit

Common in grassy
and agricultural areas, Massif de la Selle, 1400-1900m.

Black-faced
Grassquit

As with Yellow-faced.
The two species seem to overlap in distribution.

Greater Antillean
Grackle

Large flock
(500-700 birds) seen feeding in the highest agricultural areas (1800m), Massif
de la Selle.

Black-cowled
Oriole

3 seen together
at 600m, foothills of the Massif de la Selle, 8/19.

Antillean Siskin

Common from
1800m up. I must have seen at least a dozen birds and heard others, 8/18.

White-winged Crossbill

I heard but
did not see a few of this species in pines, 1900m, Massif de la Selle, 8/18.

House Sparrow

Heard on grounds
of Kaliko Beach Resort

Note: Lower down the mountain, at about 600m, I saw a single
swallow that baffled me completely. The upperparts were uniformly blue
and the underparts bright white, much like a Tree Swallow – except this bird
had a complete white-collar around the neck! I know it sounds like
a swift of some sort but it wasn’t. The shape and mode of flight was
definitely like a swallow.